A Whiter Shade of Pale
by Kasanete
Summary: AU After Itachi's death, 14 year old Sasuke is sent to go and live with his guardian's friend's adopted son. However, he soon discovers that this blond has connections with his brother and, ultimately, Itachi's death.
1. Chapter 1

**Argh! The dreaded author's note!! Hopefully you see this. Not supposed to upload A/N's as a new chapter and all that jazz.  
Yeah...if you're wondering why this hasn't been updated in a good few weeks, well, it's because I'm working on something that's kinda important to a story...a plot. I was scanning over it, and the first thing out of my mind was: 'wow, this is crap. did i really write this?'. So until I get a decent plot sorted out and completely rewrite the crappy older chapters, no updates.  
So sorry if you actually enjoyed reading this rubbish.  
Kasanete  
Look! Shameless advertising! Feel free to check out the other fic that I'm writing (hopefully it'll last a bit longer than this one).  
Once again, I'm sorry.**

Summary: After Itachi's death, Sasuke has been shipped off to go and live with his guardian's friend's adopted, a sucessful author. Sasuke wants to find reason behind his brother's strange behaviour prior to his death, and for some reason, his new guardian seems to have a connection to Itachi.

Yeah, pretty generic title but I couldn't think of anything else. Besides, it kinda stuck in my mind for a while...and the song is nice too. If you haven't heard it yet, I suggest you do.

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Naruto. I also don't own the song 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' by Procol Harum (I think), I'm just borrowing the title because I can't think of any other one that'd fit.

Parirings: None.

* * *

**A Whiter Shade of Pale**  
Chapter 1

* * *

It was a simple, flat door, one of many identical doors that lined the white-washed corridor. A generic, metal handle was on the left side of it with a keyhole that was probably never used and a small window was cut into it, the hole filled with glass covered in a film to stop it from shattering it struck. Or at least that was what Karin had told me. Along the bottom there was a metal strip that was covered in marks made by rubber- 

"Aren't you going in, Sasuke, or are you going to continue to admire the door?" I didn't even have to turn around to know that it was Kakashi, my guardian, standing behind me with his nose buried in his garish-looking novel.

I merely grunted before reaching up and twisting the handle, allowing the door to swing open.

The room itself was simple: white walls, laminate flooring and a large window that allowed the setting sun's light to stream in. A bed was against the wall, surrounded by machines that clicked and bleeped rhythmically, crisp and white.

I despised this room; I hated everything about it. From the doctors and nurses that bustled in regularly to the bright 'get well soon' cards that were displayed on the table and windowsill, but what I hated more was what the room implied.

To me, hospital rooms were associated with pain and death. Both of which were words I tried to avoid thinking about, because every time I did an image of the person lying among the sheets would burst into my mind.

A hand on the small of my back pushed me forwards and I staggered into the room, the noise enough to have attracted the attention of the dark-haired male resting on his pillow.

"Sasuke?" Itachi rasped weakly, his head lolling to the side. My chest and stomach lurched as I saw his pale, gaunt face framed by his usually-kempt hair that was splayed amongst the white.

"It's me, Itachi," I murmured, walking towards the bed to grasp the bony hand that lay atop of the covers. Dark eyes blinked blearily before a soft smile spread across his face.

"Hey, Sasu, how was school?" he asked quietly. I heard a scraping behind me and I turned to see Kakashi dragging a chair over. To my surprise, the little orange book was nowhere to be seen. I thanked him as I sat down before replying.

"It was interesting. We had a test in history."

"I want to see an A on your next IA," he smirked and I scowled. Even sick, Itachi was always trying to prove that he was better than me.

"So…how are you feeling?"

"Fine, fine," Itachi replied, his gaze leaving my face to gaze at a spot on the wall opposite. I knew he was lying, I could see the pain etched on his prematurely-aged features, but I said nothing as he squeezed my hand comfortingly.

We lapsed into silence, giving me a chance to think about these past two months. I had always known that Itachi was ill, always taking time off school though it did little to dent his grades. This meant that I spent a lot of time with him before I started full time education.

Life was good back then. My brother was my idol, someone who I aspired to be like. However, like always, good things were never meant to last. For the past two years, Itachi had grown distant and was rarely in the house. He told me nothing, quickly changing the conversation or ignoring me when I mentioned it.

Along with his sudden disappearances, his health began to decline. Just over two months ago, Itachi had collapsed and was admitted to the hospital where he had remained.

I felt as though I no longer knew my brother, replaced by a stranger in his skin. I didn't know the person lying in this bed, clutching my hand.

And I didn't want that. I wanted _my_ brother to come back; the one who play in the garden for the entire day, the one who would dress my cuts and bruises and the one who would comfort me without a second thought.

Tears pricked at my eyes that I squeezed tight in an effort to hold them back. My efforts were in vain, as I could feel their warmth slipping down my cheeks.

"Sasuke?" came Itachi's slight quavering voice, and I could feel him shifting in the bed. I released his hand before wrapping my arms around his chest as harsh sobs wracked my frame.

I didn't know why I was crying. It was silly really; one moment I was mourning the loss of my brother and next I was blubbering over him. But there was one thing that I knew.

When Itachi was released, I would do anything to regain the relationship we once had.

I felt his arms wrap around my back as his soft voice whispered soothingly in my ear. I can't recall exactly what it was that he said, but it didn't matter.

He was simply there.

I eventually let go of him and took a step backwards, wiping my eyes on the sleeve of my school uniform.

"I'll come see you tomorrow," I said, squeezing his hand in reassurance.

"Of course," Itachi replied, a smile on his suddenly not-so-gaunt face. "Good night, little brother."

"Good night, Itachi." Kakashi bade his farewell before we both exited the room, shutting the door behind us.

Little did I know that that would be the last time that I would see Itachi.

* * *

Well, that's it for the little prologue thing. I know that Sasuke's a little OOC (actually a lot), but he'll be his usual cold self next time. Hopefully... 

Next chapter will skip ahead a few weeks or so until Sasuke's going to his new home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Argh! The dreaded author's note!! Hopefully you see this. Not supposed to upload A/N's as a new chapter and all that jazz.  
Yeah...if you're wondering why this hasn't been updated in a good few weeks, well, it's because I'm working on something that's kinda important to a story...a plot. I was scanning over it, and the first thing out of my mind was: 'wow, this is crap. did i really write this?'. So until I get a decent plot sorted out and completely rewrite the crappy older chapters, no updates.  
So sorry if you actually enjoyed reading this rubbish.  
Kasanete  
Look! Shameless advertising! Feel free to check out the other fic that I'm writing (hopefully it'll last a bit longer than this one).  
Once again, I'm sorry.**

Disclaimer: Don't own anything...

Summary: After Itachi's death, Sasuke has been shipped off to go and live with his guardian's friend's adopted, a sucessful author. Sasuke wants to find reason behind his brother's strange behaviour prior to his death, and for some reason, his new guardian seems to have a connection to Itachi.

Hello and welcome to the second chapter of 'A Whiter Shade of Pale'. Yeah, I found this one a lot easier to write - I hate writing in first person. I'll probably delete the first chaper, or end up rewriting it if I can. Never again shall I write in first person. I think this chaper's better than the last (though that's not hard). So yeah...enjoy.

Ages  
Sasuke - 14  
Itachi - 21  
Naruto - 25 (argh! he's all old!)  
Kakashi - No idea...guess he's in his mid-30's or something

* * *

**A Whiter Shade of Pale  
**Chapter 2

* * *

Sasuke sat silently in the back of the car, watching the trees and hedges blur past the window. The radio played softly in the background, droning chords just loud enough to be heard above the humming of the engine. 

The Uchiha drew his gaze from the cows grazing in the fields, settling on glaring at the tuft of silver hair that poked above the dark grey headrest.

He couldn't believe his so called _guardian_. A _guardian_ was someone who was supposed to look after him and help him through life, not dump him on a friend's adoptive son whom he had never even heard of before at the first sign of trouble.

Kakashi chuckled dryly in the front seat as he spotted Sasuke's scowling face in the rear-view mirror. "It's not such a bad thing, Sasuke. At least you're going to live with someone instead of staying in an orphanage."

"I don't see why I can't just be emancipated," Sasuke muttered, breaking his self-imposed silence. It really would be so much easier if he could live by himself. It wasn't as if he weren't mature enough; he had practically lived alone since Itachi's…

The raven stopped himself there, forcing himself to turn to watch out of the window in an effort to block those thoughts out.

"Because you're only fourteen," Kakashi replied curtly as he slowed down, occasionally checking left and right. "And you need someone to look after you."

"And yet you want to send me off to some stranger…"

Kakashi didn't reply, instead turning the car a little too sharply into a gravelled drive on the left. Sasuke was jerked slightly, head almost colliding with the window. He glared at the man for a moment, before sighing in annoyance as the engine was shut off.

As his guardian exited the car, Sasuke looked at the building that they had just pulled up at. It seemed to be a typical, two-story country house made of light-grey stone and creeping ivy crawling up the most sun-bathed wall. Neatly trimmed grass covered the lot, the green only broken by the gravelled drive and the occasional tree or bush.

"Hurry up, Sasuke!" Kakashi called from beside the door and Sasuke noted the slight bite to his voice. He merely shrugged it off before stalking towards the man, hands thrust into the pockets of his dark jeans. As he reached the door, Kakashi pushed the button next to it and the sound of a chime was heard through the wood.

The Uchiha let out a small sigh, slumping against the wall of the house as the two waited.

A blurred figure appeared behind the glass panel in the door as the handle rattled and the door swung open.

"You're late," a voice grunted and Sasuke looked up from his trainers to glance at the man. He wrinkled his nose at the mussed, orange shirt and the plain jeans before continuing his analysis. Azure eyes covered by a golden fringe and a familiar, tanned face framed by messy blonde hair. He looked fairly young – only in his mid twenties at the latest.

Sasuke frowned slightly – he had seen this man before.

"Maa…" Kakashi grinned sheepishly. "Got stuck in traffic."

"Of _course_," the blond drawled sarcastically before he took a step backwards, allowing the two to enter the house. The entrance was simple like the exterior of the house, wooden flooring and dark skirting to contrast against cream walls. Doors branched off of it and Sasuke peeked through the opens ones, catching sight of other the rooms of the house.

"Is this him, then?" the man asked, turning to Sasuke, as they entered a well lit living room.

"Yep," Kakashi said, laying a hand on the raven's shoulder. "Sasuke, this is Naruto Uzumaki; you'll be living with him for a while."

"Pleased to meet you, Sasuke," Naruto smiled, extending a hand that Sasuke shook reluctantly. If he had to be living with this person then it wouldn't be wise to get on his bad side.

"Likewise," he grunted, stare out of the windows at the view of the garden. Birds sang loudly under the summer sun, darting from branch to branch of the various trees that were dotted around the grass.

"I'll leave you two to get to know each other," said Kakashi as he walked out of the room. "I'll start bringing in your stuff."

"Just leave it by the stairs, okay!" the blond called, not bothering to wait for a reply as he turned to Sasuke "Do you want something to drink? Juice? I think I might have-"

"Just water," Sasuke responded curtly as he sat on one of the green couches that matched with the walls of a darker shade. The blond arched an eyebrow before exiting the room.

Sasuke sighed and slumped into the comfortable furniture; he'd only been here for a few minutes but he still longed to go back home. Why couldn't Kakashi just leave him there alone? It wasn't as if he couldn't take care of himself and Kakashi knew this because the man rarely visited to check on them when Itachi was alive.

Hands tightened their grip on his faded jeans, nails digging into the durable fabric as his shoulders began to quake slightly.

"Hey," a soft voice said and Sasuke jumped, whirling around to see Naruto walking towards him, a concerned look on his face. "Are you okay?"

The Uchiha nodded, accepting the glass of water that he was handed. He clutched it in his hands, its coldness calming him somewhat.

"So," Naruto began as he sank into the stuffed chair opposite the teen. "Why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself, Sasuke?"

Sasuke sipped at his drink before answering. "There's not much to say."

"Well, tell me about the things you like. What do you do in your spare time?"

The raven remained silent, setting his glass on a glass coaster in the shape of a leaf on the brown coffee table. "I…enjoy reading…"

"Really?" a bright grin formed across the tan blond's face. "Me too; I have at least a library's worth around this house."

Sasuke couldn't have said that he could have guessed that.

"Most of them are because of my uncle," Naruto continued. "He's a popular author. Even though you're underage, if you've been around Kakashi enough then you must have heard of him."

"Who?" Sasuke asked.

"Jiraiya Sennin." In his mindscape, the Uchiha face-planted. Yes, he had heard the silver-haired guardian obsess over the _erotic novelist_ and his Icha Icha series. This was a good opportunity to find out if the author was as perverted as his readers… "Though to some he's better known as the Perverted Hermit; perverted, because he's a self proclaimed super-pervert and a hermit because he's spent weeks living in tents around the beaches and rivers to watch the women bathe."

"…Oh…"

Yeah, the guy was even more perverted than his readers.

Naruto laughed softly as he slumped against the cushiony back of the recliner. "Despite his _unclean_ tendencies, Jiraiya is still a good author...and believe me when I say that a book of pure smut wouldn't make it as far as his series."

Taking another sip of his water, Sasuke contemplated on what he had just heard. He had heard of the saying 'you mustn't judge a book by its cover', but he had always found his assumptions to be fairly accurate. Snorting light, Sasuke stood up and peered out of the door to see Kakashi dragging a large suitcase towards the stairs.

"Is that it?" Naruto asked as he stepped out of the room.

"Phew," Kakashi panted, running the back of his hand over a sweaty forehead. "It's hot."

"It's summer. What are you expecting – snow?"

"Would be nice," the man grumbled as he left the case at the foot of steps.

Rolling his eyes, Naruto slipped on a pair of flip-flops left by the front door. "Sasuke, you can bring the lighter bags up to your bedroom. The second door from your right, walls are blue."

"Fine," Sasuke grunted, pulling a backpack onto his shoulder and gripping the handle of his laptop bag in his hand, he began to ascend the staircase. He struggled over the last few steps, almost tripping, before stumbling onto the landing.

He glanced around, looking for the door that Naruto had mentioned. He skipped the first one, quickly moving onto the second and yanking it open, eager to drop the bags that were cutting into his skin through the thin material of his polo shirt.

Apparently it wasn't his room, as a female was lying on her front with a book open on the pillow. She looked up and emerald eyes locked with his own.

Suddenly, her pretty face twisted into an expression of anger as she leaped up with a loud screech and, before Sasuke could even react, a fist was hurtling towards him.

A sharp pain ran through his entire face and he felt himself falling, before his vision turning black.

* * *

Who could that rather violent banshee be? Any ideas? Really, though, if you can't guess then... And yes, if you couldn't tell, I was desperate for an ending...

Yeah, Naruto's house... It was kinda hard to explain so I think you'll just have to imagine whatever house you want. Hey, at least you can choose whatever house you want which help with the imagination...and stuff like that. Same with the clothes because my mind just went blank when it came to giving them something to wear.

R&R...please? I told myself I wouldn't beg...but promises are meant to be broken, right? Right?


	3. Chapter 3

**Argh! The dreaded author's note!! Hopefully you see this. Not supposed to upload A/N's as a new chapter and all that jazz.  
Yeah...if you're wondering why this hasn't been updated in a good few weeks, well, it's because I'm working on something that's kinda important to a story...a plot. I was scanning over it, and the first thing out of my mind was: 'wow, this is crap. did i really write this?'. So until I get a decent plot sorted out and completely rewrite the crappy older chapters, no updates.  
So sorry if you actually enjoyed reading this rubbish.  
Kasanete  
Look! Shameless advertising! Feel free to check out the other fic that I'm writing (hopefully it'll last a bit longer than this one).  
Once again, I'm sorry.**

Yay! Thank you for the reviews!

To answer a question, I would have liked this to be NaruSasu...but an 11 year difference if just a _bit_ too much when one is 14 years old. Meh, there's always next time if I ever decide to write something else.

Kinda short chapter. I suppose I'll just have to wait until it starts to pick up its pace.

* * *

**A Whiter Shade of Pale**  
Chapter 3

* * *

"What happened to you?" Kakashi asked, looking bewildered, as Sasuke stumbled into the living room while clutching a dripping bag of ice to his eye. 

"Attacked by a psychotic, pink _thing_," he grumbled as he fell onto the couch.

Kakashi arched an eyebrow but said nothing. He already had an idea of what had happened, judging by the scream he had heard from unloading the car. "Really, Sasuke, I would have expected better than _peeping_ from someone like you."

Sasuke glared at the man; though the effect was diminished by the fact that only one eye was visible. He was still annoyed at the man for tossing him aside as if he were some unwanted puppy.

"So…what do you think of him?" the grey-haired man asked, shifting into a more comfortable position in his chair. The Uchiha remained silent, staring at his glass that was left in the coffee table. The ice was still floating in it; he couldn't have been out for long.

He found it hard to form an impression of his short meeting with Naruto considering the fact he had had only a little time to talk with the man before being attacked by the beast upstairs…Sakura…

His face twisted into a thoughtful frown, a slight twinge of pain coursing through his bruised cheek, as he recalled the hushed conversation he had heard just as he had woken up:

_"Sakura__ I already _told_ you that someone was coming over," a masculine __voice had murmured. __Naruto?_

_The other person huffed almost childishly. "Well, Tsunade gave me orders to __take out _anyone_ who entered this house that I didn't recognise__ or know was supposed be here__." A female, most likely Sakura._

_"I repeat: 'a boy is coming over tomorrow, so don't go attacking him or anything'. I seem to recall you agreeing to this, yeah?"_

_"…You didn't mention it would be him…"_

_"What?"_

_"I said you didn't mention it would be _his_ brother!"__ The sound of skin striking skin was heard as well as heavy footsteps before a door was slammed loudly._

Could she possibly be referring to Itachi? Sasuke's chest lurched at the thought; his brother was never a social person and he had never mentioned any friends, if he had any at all. It was just another thing to add to his list of things that he had never known about the enigma that was Itachi.

And this Tsunade person… Who was she and why was she giving out orders? Maybe Sakura was some sort of body guard hired to protect the house…

The frown turned into a scowl. What was that pink-haired _female's_ problem? He had never _seen_ the woman before, let alone done anything that would warrant a left hook in the face. And she hadn't even apologised to him yet. How rude.

Before he could even begin to round his thoughts into an answer for Kakashi's question, Naruto walked into the room. "Ah…how's the eye, Sasuke?"

Instead of answering verbally, he removed the ice pack while blinking a few times to get the blood flowing properly. At least he could see out of it; that was good.

"That's not so bad," Naruto smiled warmly, bending down to take a closer look. "Looks like you got off with a light blow."

"Light?!" Sasuke spluttered, his composure slipping as he almost dropping the ice.

"Sakura does boxing," Kakashi answered. "I've seen that girl break bones before."

If he could have, the Uchiha would have paled further. He cast a quick glance at the door just as Sakura walked in. The small smile on her face dissolved in an instant as her gaze landed on the teen, replaced by a harsh glare.

Sasuke, not willing to be out-glared, returned to look with equal ferocity. No one could out-glare an Uchiha, particularly some no-name wannabe boxer person.

"Ah…guys?" Naruto began. "Do…you wanna stop glaring at each other, now? Please?"

It wasn't a big surprise that he was ignored.

--------------------

After the first week, Sasuke found himself in a better position to answer Kakashi's question.

Naruto Uzumaki, aged 25, was an aspiring author and had already had his first book or two published. Once Sasuke had heard that Jiraiya Sennin was the editor, he had been loath to read them since hearing a rather _erotic_ excerpt from 'Icha Icha: Paradise'. He found the man to be pleasant, though a little absent minded and childish at times.

Surprisingly, the blonde was a bit of a clean freak. Every other day, he would scrupulously clean the house from top to bottom armed with his vacuum, yellow duster, green cloth and blue spray bottle of whatever cleaning concoction was inside.

He recalled this fourth day after he had returned from a walk around the surrounding countryside. Of course, one would expect there to be mud on one's shoe after returning from a walk through a public footpath and so Sasuke made sure to clean his shoes off on the doormat before stepping inside. He even lowered himself to stooping down and wiping any few tracks of mud on the floor of the entrance hall with a kitchen wipe.

A few moments later, Sasuke found the blonde hunched over the floor, meticulously scrubbing at the floor with a soapy brush while muttering something along the lines of '..._dirty dirty people and their dirty dirty muddy footprints..._'

Sasuke added 'freak' to his opinion of Naruto.

Sakura Haruno, also aged 25, was a doctor as well as a boxing champion in some women's division that he didn't really care about. He couldn't help but snort – a doctor and a boxer; though they rhymed he would never have associated the two in any way, shape or form. The two had known each other since play group when Sakura had _accidentally_ pushed Naruto off of the swing. Apparently, that was the start of a beautiful relationship consisting of almost twenty years of constant arguing (Sakura, being the more _mature_ one would end their little squabbles with a punch).

Sasuke couldn't see how the two could possibly be best friends, though he had never really had any of his own so he couldn't really comment. Then again, judging from his previous school, he had watched groups of girls yelling and screeching one second and the next hugging and playing as if they never had any sort of dispute...

He had still to confront Sakura on her little remark about the brother, but it seemed as though the female _despised_ him. Every time he would go near her, she would either blank him (not that he ever spoke to her, she just stared right through him) or glared at him.

"So, it's not so bad after all?" Kakashi asked with a knowing smirk as Sasuke finished voicing his analysis on the blonde and the pink. The two were sat on the porch at the back of the house, enjoying the calmness of the Sunday evening. It had been a week since Sasuke had entered Naruto's house.

"...It could be worse, I suppose..." Sasuke muttered, staring over at the grassy expanse though he couldn't see far with the limited light that streamed from the open double doors leading to the rarely-used dining room.

"Well, that's good because you'll be here for a while," the silver-haired man said, sipping at a steaming mug of coffee.

"You still haven't told me why I have to stay here..." Sasuke muttered.

"I've told you that in order to run _your_ future company efficiently, I have to travel around and I can't just leave you by yourself-"

"You didn't seem to care much before."

"-And so I decided it would be in your best interest if I left you with someone who I could trust," he finished, completely disregarding the interruption.

Before Sasuke could reply, Naruto stepped out through the doors. "Evening," he greeted, sinking into the last available chair before turning to Kakashi. "Did you buy it for me?"

The silver-haired man nodded. "It's in my car." He cast an eye in Sasuke's direction who stiffened. "It should fit."

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke asked.

"Your uniform," came the vague reply.

"For what?" he blinked.

"Oh yeah!" Naruto suddenly gasped. "School starts on Wednesday."

"S-School?" the Uchiha stammered, whirling around to glare at the blonde. "Why was I not told about this earlier?"

"I forgot," the blonde grinned sheepishly, shying away from the glare sent his way. "...Sorry..."

"Yes, because me starting school isn't a big deal at all," he drawled sarcastically. His hand twitched; he had only been here a week but he had already started to pick up habits from Sakura.

"I said I was sorry!" Naruto growled before huffing childishly. "Damn ingrates; I bring him under my roof and look at how he acts."

"Che," Sasuke snorted before turning to Kakashi. "What school am I going to?"

"Konoha," he answered. Sasuke nodded; he had heard of Konoha and it was supposed to be a decent school. Not as good as his old, but there wasn't much he could do about that. "It'll be a good chance for you to turn over a new leaf, Sasuke, pun intended. Join a club, or something."

"Like what?"

"Chess?" Naruto suggested with a shrug as he stood up, plucking Kakashi's empty mug from the ground where the man had set it after he finished it. "What?" he continued at Sasuke's withering glare. "I know someone who joined the chess club and he's awesome!"

The Uchiha merely rolled his eyes as the blonde disappeared through the doors and leaving the two in silence for a moment.

"Sasuke," Kakashi said softly, breaking the quiet between the two. "I just want you to be happy this time, okay? This is going to be a new start for you, and you should make the most of it."

Sasuke frowned; it was rare for the man to be so serious. The man stared at him for a moment before chuckling lightly, patting him affectionately on the head. "You're a good kid, Sasuke. I just wish you'd be a bit nice; after all, not everyone's an idiot."

"Che," he snorted. "Judging from what I've seen..."

Kakashi picked up his coat that was hanging on the back of the chair and slipped it on. "I'll come check up on you soon, okay? See how you're doing in school and everything."

"If that's what you want..."

"Just be careful, okay?" Before Sasuke could reply, Kakashi turned and walked away into the darkness around the side of the house which left the teen alone to mull over his words.

He heard the sound of the engine starting and the gravel crunching under the wheels as the car pulled away.

"Is he gone?" Naruto asked, poking his head out of the door.

"Yeah..."

* * *

Yes, in my world, Sakura hates Sasuke. It makes it a little different to the whole 'OMG!! SASKAY-KUUUN!!' thing. But _why_ does she? Hmm... 

About him going to school (no, this is not a high school fic but I can't let him laze around at home like a bum can I?), if there's anything you want to know, just ask.


	4. Chapter 4

**Argh! The dreaded author's note!! Hopefully you see this. Not supposed to upload A/N's as a new chapter and all that jazz.  
Yeah...if you're wondering why this hasn't been updated in a good few weeks, well, it's because I'm working on something that's kinda important to a story...a plot. I was scanning over it, and the first thing out of my mind was: 'wow, this is crap. did i really write this?'. So until I get a decent plot sorted out and completely rewrite the crappy older chapters, no updates.  
So sorry if you actually enjoyed reading this rubbish.  
Kasanete  
Look! Shameless advertising! Feel free to check out the other fic that I'm writing (hopefully it'll last a bit longer than this one).  
Once again, I'm sorry.**

Whoops, supposed to upload this on Sunday but I got caught up in stuff! Sorry...

Little bit of Naru POV sorta thing before reverting back to Sasuke. I thought that I should give some sort of outsiders' views once in a while, no? Would have been longer, but it's one - late, and two - I'm ill (caught a cold at the end of Feb...wonderful)! looking at the screen is making me feel nauseous!

* * *

**A Whiter Shade of Pale**  
Chaper 4

* * *

Naruto watched Sasuke shuffle into the kitchen early Wednesday morning, rubbing sleep from bleary eyes and running a hand through his hair in an effort to rid it of the 'just woke up' look. 

"G'morning," came the muffled grunt as the raven pulled himself into the stool at the breakfast counter, a quick hand from the blonde preventing it from tipping over.

"Not a morning person, huh?" Naruto chuckled softly as he sipped at his mug of coffee, still watching the Uchiha over the rim. The teen was still dressed in his pyjamas – a white shirt and a pair of blue shorts that hung loosely over his slim frame. The blonde set a plate of scrambled egg and toast onto the placemat in front of him.

"For me?" Sasuke blinked as he stared at the food.

"It might be kinda cold, but that's your own fault for not waking up earlier," Naruto said, handing a fork and effectively ignoring the glare thrown his way. Sasuke grabbed the fork before tucking into the plate ravenously. "Well, how is it?"

"Needs more salt…"

Naruto merely shook his head and rolled his eyes as he left the kitchen while muttering about ingrates.

"Morning, Naruto." Sakura was standing at the foot of the stairs, a suitcase in her hand. "Sasame's sick so I thought it would be best if I went home. Shikamaru called last night saying that he's coming to stay."

"Why didn't you tell me this last night?" Naruto pouted childishly though he took p the heavy case from her and dragged it to the front door.

"Because you went straight to sleep," the pink-haired woman answered as she opened to door, allowing the two to exit into the morning air. The birds were already out and singing loudly under the warmth of the rising Sun that hung low in the cloudless blue sky.

The silver car parked on the gravelled drive bleeped as its lights flashed and Naruto walked over to the boot, yanking it open and hoisting the suitcase into it while Sakura clambered into the driver seat.

"I'll see you later," she said, letting the window roll down slowly.

"Yeah…have a safe drive home," he replied, leaning against the frame.

"Take care of him, okay?" Sakura murmured after a short silence. She avoided looking at her friend, instead staring at the black, leather wheel in front of her.

"I thought you didn't like him." Scowling, the woman pinched the blonde's forearm at the slight mocking tone in his voice.

"…I was just thinking that I've been acting a little silly over the past week…but…" Her voice quavered slightly as the volume dropped to a whisper, grip tightening around the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white. "I just miss him, you know? Itachi told us specifically to look after Sasuke if anything-"

"Don't worry, Saku," Naruto beamed. "Next time you get a break from work, come visit us again, okay? I have a feeling that the two of you'll get along life a house on fire."

"Why's that?" she frowned, slackening her hold on the steering wheel.

"I can tell that the two of you are sadists," he shrugged, taking at step backwards so he was out of range of any fists. "You should teach him how to box…beef him up a little."

A short laugh escaped Sakura's mouth that was quickly joined by Naruto as the two imagined the frail-looking raven-haired boy in a ring, clad in a pair of shorts and gloves.

"Anyway, I should leave before Sasame calls again to complain… Take care, okay?"

"You too." The blonde walked back to the front door, waving over his shoulder as the silver car pulled out of his drive.

He sighed lightly as he closed the door being him, the sound echoing around the empty entrance hall and the smile slipped from his face.

...Sakura... What was she doing to herself?

---------------------

Twenty minutes later, Naruto and Sasuke were sat in his dark-blue, pristine car as they pulled onto the country road.

"So…" Sasuke began slowly, initiating the conversation. "Where did Sakura go?"

"Aren't you a little nosey today?" the blonde grinned before answering. "She went home."

"Home? You mean she doesn't live with you?"

"Nah. She just comes to visit me so that I won't get lonely."

Sasuke frowned as he stared out of the window. So Naruto lived by himself; he guessed it would be a little lonely for someone to live in a house of that size by himself. Of course, Sasuke had spent a lot of him time alone but, unlike the blonde, he didn't really crave social interaction.

"Then why don't you get a flat in the middle of the city or something?" he suggested.

"But I like my house," Naruto pouted and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

The two lapsed into silence, the sound of the radio humming softly in the background the only nose besides the muffled droning of the engine. The trees of the countryside had eventually bled into houses and eventually larger buildings as they made their way further into the centre of the town.

Sasuke tugged at his uniform; it was new and stiff, making it uncomfortable to wear. A black blazer fit around his from snugly with a golden leaf stitched onto the front; he assumed it was the school emblem as the same symbol was on the end of his black tie.

He never really liked his old school, if one could even call it that; it was more of a competition of who had the largest amount of digits in their bank accounts.

Of course, few could match the Uchiha and their company and hence he was often looked upon with jealously from many of his fellow students.

Sasuke checked the time on the digital radio; if he calculated it correctly, he had about fifteen minutes to make it to school on time.

"Oh, yeah," Naruto suddenly said. "When you have a chance, you have to go to the reception and ask for the form for the bus pass."

"Bus pass?" Sasuke echoed, tearing his eyes away from a few cyclists on the pavement.

"I'm not going to drop you every day," the blonde snorted. "Even _I_ have better things to do. There's a bus stop only a few minutes walk from the house and there's nothing stopping you from using it."

Sasuke scowled as he shuddered slightly. He had never really liked public transport; between Kakashi and Itachi, he rarely had a need to use it, but it was a nightmare when he had to. Not only were the buses usually late, but they were usually full of people forcing him to be squished into some corner by a mother with her two young children and armfuls of shopping.

"Don't hit the driver!" Naruto barked, as Sasuke flicked his ear to stop the chuckles that escaped his lips at the sour look on the young Uchiha's face. "And we're here anyway."

The teen looked out of the windscreen to see a large building looming up at them; it looked like a typical school, surrounded by grey concrete and students dressed almost identically to himself.

Naruto pulled to an empty side road opposite the school. "I'll meet you here later, okay?"

"Fine," Sasuke grunted, kicking the door open to the annoyance of its owner, and stepped out while throwing his bag over his shoulder. "Where should I go?"

"How should I know?" the blonde shrugged. "Go to reception and say you're new or something or try-"

The raven rolled his eyes, closing the door with a bit too much force than what was necessary. He shrugged his bag into a more comfortable position and walked away from the blue car and towards the large building.

He hurried across the busy road at the pelican crossing with at least a score of other students, the cyclists forced to hop off their bikes lest they ran into any innocent pedestrians. A scowl passed over Sasuke's face as he was jostled by the multitude of teens that walked past him. He never did like being around too many people, particularly when he was in contact with them.

Eventually, he made it to the other side of the road with all his limbs intact just as the bell rang at the school just in front of him. The students that were sitting on the grass in front of the school rose to their feet, still chatting happily about their summer holiday, and began to make their way around the campus.

Sasuke followed one group of teens through the automatic doors of the main entrance, emerging into the main foyer. Without much else to do, he walked up to the curved reception desk, drawing attention to the dark-haired female sat in the chair at the computer.

"Excuse me," he said, loud enough to be heard over the students that walked past behind him.

She looked around from her computer at his voice, a greeting smile spreading its way across her face. "Ah, can I help you?"

"I'm new and I thought that-"

"Oh!" the woman suddenly gasped "Sasuke Uchiha, correct?" The raven nodded. "Ah, please take a seat on the chairs over there, please."

Sasuke followed her finger to a row of seats that were just opposite of the desk; a boy with red hair was already sat on them. He sat on the end as he pulled his bag off of his shoulder and set it by his feet, casting a quick glance at the boy.

As if sensing his gaze, he turned to glare at the Uchiha with pale, green eyes that were ringed in black (makeup or sleepless nights, Sasuke didn't know)… Was that a _tattoo_ on his _forehead_? There was no accounting for some peoples' tastes.

"What do you want?" the other boy drawled, his voice as flat as the look on his face. Sasuke merely snorted before returning his gaze to the wall opposite – a mural of students work along with pictures of them in various activities, whether it was playing cricket to a musical concert. Random comments that he supposed were supposed to encourage students were printed and stuck on; obsidian eyes rested on one: 'learning is more fun than fun'.

Because _that_ makes a whole lot of sense.

Caught up in his thoughts, he almost didn't notice another person collapse heavily onto the chair next to him. It was a girl this time, with long platinum-blonde hair that was pulled back into a ponytail and stunning blue eyes (an image of a certain blond whom he had left behind crossed his mind). She was dressed in the female version of his own attire: a white blouse, no tie and a grey skirt.

She, too, sensed his gaze and turned towards him while flashing a grin. "Hey, there!" she said brightly and loudly, and all theories of her being related to Naruto were suddenly confirmed. "Are you new or something?"

Sasuke nodded slowly.

"Me too! I'm Ino Yamanaka; pleased to meet you." The blonde-haired girl extended a hand that he shook reluctantly. "I'm in Year 10!"

"Sasuke Uchiha," he responded, edging towards the edge of the chair slightly.

"Uchiha?" the girl suddenly muttered, leaning back in the chair and closing her eyes in thought. "…Uchiha… Uchiha… I've heard that name before…"

His family only a multimillion dollar business, not to mention had been mentioned in the news a good few times…

"Are you new, too?" Ino asked, turning towards the third person sat on the row of seats. The redhead merely turned, glared at her and returned to boring a hole into the wall with his eyes. Ino's bright grin dropped slightly. "You're not too friendly, are you?"

The boy didn't even acknowledge her.

Seemingly growing bored of him, Ino turned back to Sasuke. "So, where did you come from? I came from Iwa High School, moved because Mum had to get a new job."

"Kumo," Sasuke answered.

"Isn't that that really expensive private school?" Ino gasped, blue eyes widening. "Wow! You've gotta be loaded if you got in there! Or maybe a scholarship?"

Before the Uchiha could answer, a woman came walking towards them. Blonde hair was pulled into two ties that spilled down her back and sharp, amber eyes glanced at the trio. However, Sasuke's (being a male teenager) attention was drawn to _other_ things, namely her rather _large_ chest area…place…thing…

"_Shizune, is this them all_?" she bellowed and the three jumped from her voice.

"Yes, Tsunade," the receptionist called, not even looking up from her computer.

"Good." The woman broke into a wide smile as she clapped her hands together. "Welcome to Konoha High School. My name is Tsunade Sannin, Headmistress-"

Sasuke's eyes widened. Tsunade? Was this the same person Sakura had mentioned the other week? Caught up in his thoughts, he missed some of the 'welcome speech' as the next moment, a piece of paper was being thrust into his hands.

"These are your timetables. Arrive at lessons promptly and in correct uniform with the correct equipment, understood?"

One nod and two small grunts.

"I've brought a Senior Student down to show you all around the school and fill you in on the rules." Tsunade turned to a tall male standing next to her. "This is Neji Hyuuga. Introduce yourselves and get out of here."

"Of course," the teen smirked. The blonde, seeming satisfied with this answer, nodded before walking back towards her office. "If you would like to follow me…"

Sasuke slung his bag over his shoulders before following Neji out of the entrance foyer, Ino and the other boy not so far behind.

* * *

Going back and reading this through, I've just noticed that this chapter is completely worthless. Damn fillers... I suppose it's because I was meant to add a little more to it, but cut it off for my health. Hopefully there'll be some sort of semblance of a plot in the next chap. Also, still debating who to have at Sasuke's age and who to have at Naru's... 

...Hopefully...

Oh, and the 'leaning is more fun than fun' was ripped from a display in my old school. I have yet to learn what this statement actually means...


End file.
